Letters from John Wesley Hetherington to his Family, 1914-1915 - Part 2

was interesting enough to see the various ships pass in, and all round us
there were German Steamers and "wind-jammers" tied up. There were two or 
three N. D. L passenger boats too and lots of cargo steamers. We got a
berth at last and sailed in to the wharves, passing a lighthouse that had
a shot put right through it when the bombardment took place in 1881.
The native poples was waiting to meet as with all sorts of stuff to sell.
It was almost impossible to get leave ashore so you may guess there
were some queer dodges to get "over the fence," In one case some of our
chaps actually lowered one of the ship boats & tried to steal away
from the other side of the Ship. Preparations were made for
disembarking the next day and one company was sent off to Cairo
directly after breakfast as an advance party. We did not follow
until night, boarding the train about 5-30pm and we travelled
all night. It is usually about, 3½ hrs journey to Cairo but
of course we travelled none too fast. The 1st class carriages 
surprized all by the excellence of their equipment. They had        
electric lights and splendid photos & mirrors it was finer than
I had expected. We didn't travel first of course but were lucky
enough to catch a second class. I can't tell you much about
the Country side as it was dark. We landed just outside Cairo
about 1-30 and had cocoa & rolls served out to us. We really
needed them too as it is very very cold here at nights.
The authorities had a long string of train cars drawn up and
we were marched across to them. I was much struck with
the fine houses we passed on one trip out to the Pyramids. A
tramway employee on the car pointed out the British Embassy,
Kitcheners house & other places of interest though we couldnt see
much of them of course. When we marched on to the camping ground
we could just distinguish the Pyramids in the background. 

However we were too tired and cold to bother to much about
anything so we hunted the warmest spot possible among the
baggage and went to sleep. The next morning was mainly devoted
to erecting tents, sorting baggage & getting our bearings. I was
surprised to find we well quite close to the Pyramids & many of
the chaps strolled up there before breakfast. I can scarcely
describe them, the largest one is however 450 feet high and
is a most tremendous work. I shall try later to describe them and
the other important sights of Cairo. The Australns are all together in
the Valley behind the Pyramids though some of the Light Horse are
in barracks or camp elsewhere. We have 12 Battallions of fifty
6 ranged on each side (6) of the road. The N.S.W regiments come
first and then Victoria, etc finishing up with Q/land.
Each regiment and has its number set up in artistic fashion
in a sort of rockery and some of the designs are very
elaborate. They trick it out with coloured glass etc, and
they have made some very fine coats of arms indeed.
Reveille goes at 6am every day and then you hear bugles and
bands all over the place, bagpipe included too. We have
breakfast about 7am and fall in at 8 am. At first we
did not stay out later than 2pm, but they have now
increased the hrs to 3pm. The Brigadier has made all
Armourer Corpl go on parade now, and I have to turn out
too, I didn't take too kindly to it at first but have had
to like it. It was hard work for us the first few days
trudging over the desert with packs on, etc, talk about
sweat, we did growl at our C.O some. This is the land
of sand, sweat, and sore eyes, and having experienced
a sandstorm or two into the bargain I have ceased to

wonder at a camel having the hump. It is very chilly at night
too and you have to add an extra shirt when the sun goes
down. The chaps made things merry in Cairo when they
landed first especially after they received their back
money, and we have received lectures galore.
They are really amusing in some of their antics and we have
many a good laugh at the pranks they get up to.
Overstaying leave is the principal offence and when the
defaulters call goes (every ½ hour) a cheer goes up.
I heard of two chaps in the 1^st who had got 14 days Confined
to Camp and had to answer their names at the guard tent
even ½hr between 6am & "lights out" when not on parade.
Well they actually bought a donkey apiece to ride up, _∧on and
report. xxx It is a sight to see them sailing along on the
"cuddles" around the City. Cairo shopkeepers never made
so much money before I warrant and the poor British
"Terriers" quartered here find it almost impossible to live
Since we arrived here as everything has jumped up in
price. We get as much in a day as they get in a month
almost and they don't half growl. They are very boyish
Terriers and not near up to the physique of our Chaps.
They are surprized to death to see how our officer hob nob
with us and also at the independent way we get
about. The Citizens also get a surprize now & again.
One crowd sailed into the city one day recently on the
tops of the tram cars. The chaps were clinging on to the
outsides like flies and they cheered & sang
"Tipperary" to their hearts content. They had all
Cairo out to see what the row was. The natives 

here are a mixed lot. The Christians are pleased at the
Change of Government; but the Mussulmans (comprising
the greater part of the popn) are not though they do not
dare to show they feelings too much. British rule is
acknowledged to be better than Turkish by nearly
all of them so far as business is concerned.
We get as good tucker here as ever we got in Sydney
and fare much better than we did at Kensington
taking all in. There are plenty eggs, tomatoes, oranges
etc. The eggs are small but cheap about 4d a doz
oranges 3 a penny, and there are excellent dry
Canteens with all sorts of dry goods for sale.
There are also tailors shops, where they do things
very reasonably. Our chaps surprized the city by
dining at the flash hotels and running around in
motor cars. It was not an unusual sight to see
a party of privates sitting at one table and Staff
Officers at another in Shepheard's Hotel, the
most expensive hotel in Cairo. until the authorities
reserved it for officers only by putting it out of
bounds. Another feature was the changing of
the names of booze shops to catch the nimble "piastres".
I heard that before we came many of these drink
dens had German signs up and now they have
been replaced by such as "New Zealand Bar",
"Westminster Dragons" Bar etc., Our mails have been
all mixed up and delayed. I have had three letters
no all from Fred and this week brought the
first newspapers. I did not get the roll of

honour he mentioned in one. I am pleased to hear you
All managing O.K. I forwarded £9 to Joe last week and
have about £8 in hand. They allow corporals 3/5 a
day and & I don't spend a great deal as I only visit
Cairo about once a week, You don't feel inclined for
much Cairo after a day on the desert I can assure you.
I have never had any letters from Joe yet.
We live pretty well here. There are 3 Sergeants and
myself in one tent and we mess by ourselves so
You can bet we don't starve. We got through 30 fried
eggs for breakfast the other day with the assistance
of another sergeant. I'm longing for puddings though
and tea cake. We don't know when we will shift
from here after we learn Arabic, I suppose.
You ought to hear the mixture of Woolloomooloo & Arabic
Imshi! Yalla! (Go on! Get away) Iquire (quick),
And the coinage one piastre (disasters we call 'em)
an is equal to 2½d and you can get coins equal to
¼ of a farthing. Needless to say Australians never
carry them. I have got some as Curios. I am
picking up a few things of interest for Elsie's
glory box. Well I shall conclude now for this
time. Hope Mother did get to Maitland.
I am fit and well & have had to get a piece
spliced in my pants. With love to all hoping it
won't be too long before I see you all again
I have not received the singlets yet.
Yours with best wishes
Wes/.

[*4*]

Cairo, Egypt.
Jany 24th/15.
Dear Home Folk

I shall endeavour to reel off another epistle of more or, less
interest to you all. We do not get a great deal of time to ourselves
now as they are working us pretty stiff. We fall in each
morning at 8.15 and within a few minutes of that hour we
are parading for inspections etc. I have to turn out with the
rest now and do my bit along with them in fact I have charge
of a section of men under the new system of drill instituted.
We start off for a four or five miIe trek over the burning sands
of Egypt, though they are all right in the early mornings,
and having arrived on suitable ground we began sham
attacks etc and my word it does take it out of you. We are
generally quite ready for lunch about 1pm. and after 45 min
spell we fall in for more drill until 3pm when we trek back
again to be dismissed about 4 pm. Then there is sometimes a
night march to do too but it is not too bad. Our Colonel
nearly killed us one day last week, he gave us attacking
up and down the sand hills all day with full marching
order on. Next day there was a leap of men on the Sick parade.
and we haven't forgot it yet. Even the officers confessed it
was over the odds, but "vegetable" as we call him (he is a
vegetarian) seems to forget at times that we are only flesh
& blood. Our doctor & he have been at loggerheads on the
way he has worked the men. Ever since we landed he has taken us
for stiff marches with full equipment; and we used to growl like
blazes when we passed the other battalions and saw they were in
light drill order. It went so far that our Dr passed his resignation
in but it was not accepted and the Colonel & he are still 

fighting over it. I think the Dr will eventually win the day. The
Colonel thinks he is making us hard and fit and he is doing quite
the contrary for the sick parade grows bigger every day, and the
men are absolutely sick of the desert marches. We get a little more
leave now and as the training goes on we will gradually get
more that is if we follow the same course as the Territorials.
The latter are a very weedy lot and some are mere boys
I heard that the Armourer Sergts of the Brigade have to report
to Headquarters when we go into action to act as Runners between
Headqts and the different C.O's carrying dispatches. In that case the
Corporals will very probably have to act in the Armr. Sergts. capacity.
I hope they will stick to that arrangement. We get fairly good
tucker here, eggs all very cheap about 4 a 1¼d hard boiled, and
dinners & teas are reasonable in Cairo. Clothing too is reasonable
enough & I want for little in that direction. I have not received
the singlets yet you said you were sending. I bought two here and
two pairs of very short underpants to prevent the military
pants chafing when marching. I sent a further £6 to Joe.
yesterday so that is £15 I have sent him this month. I
shall not be able to send so much in future as they are only
paying us 3/5 a day but I shall endeavour to fulfil all requests
and if I want you to send anything on to him I shall write
you. At any rate I shall try to let you know how much I
have sent him & you can make good any deficiency until
they pay us up our back money again. I have not had any
letters from Joe yet so I don't know how I stand. Have
received all the letters you have sent now I think, they all came
in a heap and I had newspapers a foot deep thanks to Fred.
And besides I buy the English papers here though they are 

a week old when we get them. The second contingents are expected
shortly and I think they will be passing out a lot of the unmanageabes,
boozers and shirkers, and many sick. I had a few words with some
of the Indian troops yesterday who have been sent up to the hospital
here from Ismalia some of them with wounds. They are a funny
mixed crowd and they "bum" cigarettes off you all day long There are
Ghurkas, Baluchis, Sikhs, etc, and their hospital is just behind the
big Mosque, and they are often to be seen saying their prayers in the
Mosques of their co-religionists. We have had no word yet as to
when we shall leave here but it won't be for some time yet I think.
The men are gradually becoming more disciplined, & we are supposed
to shaved every day & you can't go on leave without you pass
inspection. The Sunday is the best time of the week, the parades
to Church in the morning, (held in camp of course) and the Visitors in
the afternoon make a really enjoyable day. I have a few nick
nacks to send Home to you but shall keep them here a little
longer as they are not of any great value. Well I shall conclude
now as I have to write to Joe yet. Glad to hear everything is
OK with you all. I am putting weight on here & yesterday
got a photo taken hope to send one next time I write.
With kind regards & love to you all
and rememberance to numerous enquiries
Yours
Wes/.
 

[*5*]

Mena Camp. Cairo Egypt
Jany 31st/15.

Dear Wal & Win
I have just received your letter & card and very
pleased to hear you are all O.K. I got 5 letters & papers
this last week quite a beanfeast and it made my tent
mates green with envy. You have no idea of the pleasure it
gives to hear the "mail call" go, a great cheer always follows
the sounding of it. Unfortunately the mails have been held
back so long that they are all mixed & I am only now
receiving letters you wrote long ago. That tale of of us
being held up off Fremantle with sickness was very funny.
Well I may say that the N.S.W Brigade are certainly not
having it all beer & skittles. We have done some good
"treks" over the burning sands of Egypt, and it is really
very hard work carrying full equipment over the loose sand.
and doubly hard work when they extend you in fighting
order & you have to double & take cover etc. Then you begin
to wonder where the honour & glory comes in. Of course
soldiering isn't too bad when the bands are playing & the
cheers go up, but when you're in the midst of a sandstorm
and a few miles from Camp & you've got to bally well
foot every inch of the way back and the Colonel is pulling
every ounce out of you. Gee whiz and there ain't no cheering
ah! then you think you've earned your medal fight or no fight.
Still we are much better off than the European men and
I suppose its bad & wicked to complain in the face of what
they are undergoing. I was in action last night -
at a teafight. The Dean of Sydney Chaplain to the Forces
 

asked some of our chaps to tea & a meeting of the C.E.M.s at the
Continental Hotel. I'm not C of E but my tea party instinct was
keen & I edged in & Ye Gods it was the sweetest thing I've struck so
far, and, as I remarked, it was an absolutely wicked way of earning
medals. We sat in a beautiful room with red turband black
waiters attending on us, beautiful lounges & china, and the French
pastry served was a dream, I could have sat & eaten it
until the tears came out of my eyes. All dreams have an end
good & bad and I woke up in Camp with faint recollections
of having visited once more a land free from bugle calls & STEW.
I'm open to become an adherent of any religion under the Sun
provided their is such fare served up before prayers etc. It
may seem selfish but I can eat some since I came here and
if I have ever to go on short rations later on it will always
be a consolation to think of the good feed I've had.
We hear all sorts of rumours as to our future movements, one
rumour follows hard on the heels of another, and we
have resigned ourselves to a "wait & see" policy. Our chaps
are spoiling for a fight and the Turks are just about one weight
I get plenty of English papers, but enjoy a glance through
the Sydney ones now & again. I have received letters from
Mr Thongnan & Mr. Harper. I shall endeavour to reply to them
during the course of the week and shall write Fred next week.
We have not a great deal of time on our hands & we are usually too
tired to write much at nights. I am enclosing some photos kindly
give Mr Wilson one of myself. The other chap with me is also a
Geordie a nephew of Sir John Miller Bart.
Excuse brevity, nearly mail time.
With love to all at home.
Yours Wes/.

[*Re photos. We have to grow moustaches in the "Harmy"

My pal is sometimes known as Miss Davidson, don't we appear

as "Heavenly Twins"?

sending more next week.*]